Legislative Update – April 28

The Assembly on Tuesday has several items on the docket, including a broadband expansion bill, as well as legislation that would give lawmakers direct oversight on how the state plans to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. And, with the Joint Finance Committee preparing to begin votes on Monday, here’s a video of political insiders debating transportation, self-insurance, education and more.

Every Student Succeeds Act. The draft Wisconsin ESSA plan is now available for review. AB 233 prohibits the DPI from submitting its ESSA plan to the feds without first responding to any objections filed by members of the Senate or Assembly education committees. This, even though records show up the GOP has had little feedback to date. Only one Republican lawmaker, Rep. Romaine Quinn of Chetek, responded to the DPI invitation in January to submit comments. The bill has no Senate sponsors and Senate Ed Chair Luther Olsen said he won’t hold a hearing. A hearing on the plan, with invited testimony only, will be held for the Senate and Assembly Education committees on Wednesday, where the DPI will provide a briefing on the draft Wisconsin implementation plan. See the bill history here. Find resources on ESSA and the process used to develop Wisconsin’s plan here.

Join educators in applauding two voucher accountability bills.

Voucher transparency. The Wisconsin Voucher Taxpayer Transparency bill(SB 183) requires property tax bills include information on the amount of any net reduction in state aid to the home district as a result of pupils enrolled in any of the state’s school voucher programs.

Voucher spending referendum. Four Democratic legislators are advancing a billto give property taxpayers the final say on whether they want to be on the hook for tax dollars taken directly out of public schools to fund vouchers. The bill would require a referendum to pass before voucher schools can take state aid out of a public school district. The 2015 state budget changed state law to divert state funding to voucher schools at a rate much higher per student than public schools receive.

Governor continues his budget tour. The governor stopped at North Lakeland School this week as he continues to promote his school budget proposals, which calls for a per-pupil increase of $204/$200 in each year of the budget for public school students. The increases are in sharp contrast to the cuts in his previous budgets, which will not be restored with what is essentially an inflationary increase for schools. And, given that his plan provides the aid outside of the school funding formula, schools impacted most by previous cuts will receive the same as wealthy districts. It’s worth noting that private voucher schools will receive increases of $217 per pupil, per year.

Coming Up in the Legislature

May 1

Joint Finance Committee scheduled to be in executive session.

May 2

Assembly will be in session, taking up:

AB-025Child Labor Permits. Child labor permits and modifying references to child labor in the statutes. The companion bill passed out of the Senate Public Benefits, Licensing and State-Federal Relations Committee this week.

AB-095School Board Member Salary Refusal. Authorizing a school board member to refuse his or her salary.

AB-233ESSA State Plan. Submitting a state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

SB-062School Board Member Salary Refusal. Authorizing a school board member to refuse his or her salary.

Senate is set to be in session, taking up:

SB-216Prevailing Wage Repeal. Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform plans an executive session on elimination of the requirement that laborers, workers, mechanics, and truck drivers employed on the site of a public works project be paid prevailing wage.

May 3

Joint Senate and Assembly Education Committee meets for an informational hearing on ESSA.

Other education bills

AB-267Aid Reduction Info on Tax Bill. Including with the property tax bill information regarding state aid reductions to school districts. Referred to Assembly Local Government

AB-268School Referenda. School board referendums to exceed revenue limit applicable to a school district. Referred to Assembly Education

AB-269Referendum Scheduling. Scheduling of school district referendums to exceed revenue limits. Referred to Assembly Education

AB-280Financial Literacy in Schools. Incorporating financial literacy into the curriculum of public schools. Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions

AB-282Bonding Resolution Consideration. Consideration of resolution to issue bond by common and union high school districts and prohibiting voting on a resolution to exceed the revenue limit of a school district at a special meeting. Referred to Assembly Education